Mind the yap. London Underground to get full mobile coverage by end of 2024
Just what you wanted. A yakking commuter in the next seat.
London's Tube is getting full mobile service.
The London Underground, the world's oldest subway system, is getting a mobile upgrade that will allow commuters to chatter away as they speed under the city. On Tuesday, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Tube riders would have full mobile coverage on the subway network by the end of 2024.
"I promised Londoners that if they re-elected me for a second term as Mayor I would deliver 4G throughout the Tube network," Khan said in a statement posted on the Transport for London website. TFL is the city's transit authority. All mobile service providers will be able to use the network, which will accommodate 5G if providers offer the next-generation service.
Some busy stations, including Oxford Circus, will have coverage by the end of next year.
Transport for London said the rollout, which is being overseen by BAI Communications, will help deliver service throughout the city by installing transmitters. It'll bring fiber into London's neighborhoods, allowing for gigabit-capable speeds to homes and businesses, as well as supporting digital inclusion.
The Underground won't be the first subway system to make it easier for yakking passengers. New York's subway system has had cell coverage since 2017.